The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-04-07

M2hy of the kings of CASTLE ac-
Corded to the finest sword-makers of
Toledo certain privileges-such as ex-
emptionfrom diverse imposts and duties
appertaining to the sale of swords, the
purchase of iron and steel, and other
primary material. These privileges ex-
tended to certain craftsmen attached to
the manufacture of blades, such as the
acralddores, or Publishers, and vaiueros,
or filters. The iron and blades of Spain
were renowned in France in the Mid
die Ages.
Ancient records make mention of the
'Jer d Espagme,' and Froissart speaks
OF a short Spanish blade. Mediva re-
lates that Francis I'LL, returning to
Madrid, beheld young unbearded
youths, who carried swords by their
sides, upon which the king said: 80
thrice happy Spain! wherein are born
children and men ready armed" The
Toledo blades are highly esteemed in
England, as shown by several passages
in Ben Jonson, Butler and Shakespeare.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that the
espadas 1oledanas were not less priced
in Spain. RS 81 &F
The author of the vida de, Lazarillo
de Tornes," who wrote in 1925, thus
causes a Toledan squire, who served
his hero, to speak of sword: ''O,s
thou only knewest, boy, what weapon
have here! Not for all the yellow gold
in the world would / sell it; for. in all
the blades that Antonio hath wrought,
none equaleth this one" !" $3.50
The steel used by the espaderos of
Madrid was obtained in an iron mine,
situated about three miles from Man.
dragon, in the Basque provinces.
Victorious sword! Thy blade is of
Mandragon, and thou vast tempered at
Toledo
According to Palomeus, Toledan
sword-maker of the last century, tits an
error to suppose that the Toledans pre-
served particular secrets for the temper
ing of their arms. They were COM
PEELED to use the water of the Tagus, as
|
river contains in its bed. The sand, to
the experts, served for the operation OF
what they termed refrescar la calda, to
Icool the heat; for when the metal be-
came red, and commenced to throw off
sparks, the espaderos Instantly sprinkled
it with this sand The blade formed,
they proceeded to temper it in the fol-
lowing manner: Part of the middle OF
the fire was followed out, and in the
hollow was placed the blade, so that
four-fifths of it only was exposed to the
fire, the tongue and hilt resting outside.
The blade having become cherry red,
they plunged the point into a wooden
reservoir, full of the water of the Tagus
and having once cooledit, they straight.
ened it as much as was desirable. They
then subjected such of the blade as had
not hitherto been exposed to the fire
and when it commenced to redden
they took it by the tongue with red-ho
pinchers. and plunged it into sheep sue
until it cooled, an operation which i'm
parted temper to it.
The most ancient Toledan espadeYo
or sword-maker, of whom mention i
lmade, is Julian. surnamed ell Moro, O
the Moor. on account of his comins
from Granada, where he worked towart
the end of the fifteenth century for Kin;
Boabdil.s They also surnamed hin
Julian del Ray, because upon his con
version to Christianity, had for god
father no less illustrious a personag'
than Ferdinand, the Catholic.
Having hired conveyance drawn b
pair of gayly caparisoned mules. tn
driver wearing a pork-pie hat and
bIood-red sash, was driven out to tn
Fabrica de Armas, which is situated OF
the right bank of the Tagus, about
mile and a half outside of the city walls
This sole manufactory of Toledan blade
is very unpretentious building of re,
tangular form, completed, as the in
scription over the entrance informe'
|, line, in 1850. Charles ILL.,, who mad
so many efforts to encourage Spanis
manufacture, resolved upon revivifyin
the ancient craft of the espaderos, an
constructed the factory. So low ha
, the reputation of the Toledan espadert
I fallen, that the king was compelled t
/ send to Valencia for maker of sword
Luis Calisto,s whom he appointed d
rector of the works. 80
A very polite, mutton-chop whiskere
> official escorted me over the works
, for this mandatory is to-day used
+ the fabrication of arms for the army
and explained the process for swort
/ making in use at present. The ancieI
mode of manufacture has been abal
: l.doned. both as regards forging an
E tempering, whilst the iron now employe
comes from Germany. The sand of Il
e Tagus is no longer used, and the shee
o suet is replaced by soap. However, Il
5 arms seill turned out are OF exceIlel
e quality, and in the sala de pruentas, {
II proof-room, / had the satisfaction !
9 testing blades that rolled themselv,
n several times upon themselves like Sc
z